Team Effort Lifts UC Irvine Women to Victory : Soccer: Manz scores game-winner in 1-0 triumph over Hartford at the Hyatt Invitational.
Sophomore forward Tracie Manz got her foot on the ball during a scramble in front of the net and scored an unassisted goal to lift UC Irvine to its biggest victory of the season Sunday.
There were three assists on the play, however, that won’t show up in the statistics but were instrumental in the 15th-ranked Anteaters’ 1-0 defeat of 10th-ranked Hartford in the Hyatt Invitational at Anteater Stadium.
Freshman Dena Lundy hustled into the corner to win the ball and held it near the goal line, forcing a Hartford defender to kick it out of play and give the Anteaters a corner kick. Freshman Simone Ferrara lofted a perfect corner kick in front of the goal and junior midfielder Anna Klein’s header bounded off the hands of Hartford goalie Sloane Cox.
“Their goalie stopped it but she couldn’t hold on and it just bounced up right in front of me,” Manz said, smiling. “So I kicked it in.”
Sounds easy, but this was a physical and emotional battle before and after Manz’s goal at 64 minutes 50 seconds. Irvine (10-0-2) dominated play in the first half, but the Hawks (9-3-1) seemed to gain the momentum after the intermission.
“They threw everything but the kitchen sink at us today, but these kids really responded with some great defense,” Irvine Coach Marine Cano said. “We were very patient on offense, picking our spots. I think we played very smart.
“Hartford is a veteran team that was a preseason favorite to go to the Final Four. I think they out-skilled us at times, but we really showed a lot of heart. This is a huge win for us. This proves we’re legit.”
Hartford, an NCAA-tournament entry five times since 1989, almost grabbed the lead about 30 minutes into the game when a header by senior midfielder Irene Stelling, a member of the Danish national team, hit the post. Irvine goalkeeper Stephanie Bose dived in an attempt to make a save on the header and the ball caromed in front of an open net. Freshman Michelle Perez cleared it with a high kick before the Hawks could pounce.
The Anteaters’ best first-half opportunity came about 10 minutes later when Lundy broke free near the center of the field. Her sinking shot caught the goalkeeper on a short-hop and bounded off her shoulder, but the ball carried up and over the crossbar.
Bose had nine saves, mostly on long shots, to pick up her fifth shutout of the season.
“We got some great shots on set plays in the second half and [Cox] made some great saves,” Cano said, “but most of their shots were from 30 and 40 yards out and Bose is way, way too good to let those through.”
The Anteaters are one of only four undefeated teams in the country, an elite group that includes top-ranked North Carolina, No. 2 Portland and Southern Methodist.
“This win was like having a big weight lifted off our shoulders,” junior defender Claudia Ruggiero said, “but now we have to focus on the next opponent.
“I guess we won’t sneak up on anyone anymore, but we still feel like we have to prove ourselves. No one wants to give us much respect. But as long as we keep playing like we did today, with everyone playing with all their passion, we’ll be in good shape.”